Vision and School Success | Professional Eyecare of New York
As much as 80 % of what a child learns in school is acquired through vision. If vision problems go undetected, many children may be misdiagnosed with “learning difficulties” or “ADHD”, as is already the case in much of the world.
In fact, 1/10 children have an issue with their visual skills that obstructs their ability to succeed in school and sports. The repeated failures and struggles can negatively impact their self esteem and confidence levels.
Don’t wait until your child is already in school and struggling to read, see the board, or play sports.
At Professional Eyecare of New York, we have the clinical knowledge and expertise to identify vision issues early on and intervene before the problems affect different areas of your children’s lives.
School Vision Screenings vs. Comprehensive Eye Exams for Children
Typically, pediatric or school vision screenings check your child’s eyes for basic aberrations or abnormalities. But to ensure good vision and proper eye health development, your child should have a comprehensive eye exam by a pediatric optometrist.
Comprehensive eye evaluations are crucial for revealing potential vision problems which can interfere with kids’ learning development. The exam includes tests for binocularity, refractive error, color vision, vision acuity, and overall eye health.
What is Assessed During a Pediatric Eye Exam?
The Professional Eyecare of New York optometrist will perform a thorough internal and external eye health evaluation. The optometrist will use specialized, age-appropriate instruments, testing procedures, and technologies that provide accurate results.
The pediatric eye exam evaluates the following:
- Eye Focusing
- Depth Perception
- Color Perception
- Eye Tracking
- Eye Muscle Teaming
- Peripheral Awareness
- Near Visual Acuity
- Distance Visual Acuity
The Role of Parents in Pediatric Eye Exams
When it comes to a pediatric eye exam, parents play a huge role. Often, parents are the first to notice if their child’s eyes are turned or are misaligned, or if their child is experiencing any challenges with their visual clarity. They may also notice symptoms such as eye strain, tired eyes, headaches, or rubbing or covering one eye when performing certain activities. All of these issues may be signs of larger problems that can seriously affect a child’s physical development as well as their ability to learn and thrive in school.
During the eye exam, our eye care team will speak with both the parent and the child to make sure that everyone understands the child’s eye health and visual clarity needs, and we get full buy-in from everyone involved.
If you, as the parent, would like portions of the exam results to be discussed with you privately, away from your child, please speak to our eye care team and this can be arranged.
Eye Care Technology for Pediatric Exams
We use a wide range of advanced eye care technology, depending on the age and maturity of your child. For older children, we often use many of the same technologies as in an adult exam. These can include:
- Eye pressure machines to check for signs of conditions such as glaucoma
- Autorefractor, in order to make sure their glasses prescription is as accurate as possible
- Optos Optomap, so that we can get the widest view possible of the posterior pole of their eye to check for damage that might indicate certain sight-threatening diseases.
For children who are at risk of developing myopia or nearsightedness, we also use an axial length machine that checks the length of the eye. We use that data to check if their eyes are too long for their age, and may discuss myopia control therapies with parents and children.
Glasses for Kids
Should your child need glasses for vision correction, Professional Eyecare of New York has a wide variety of age-appropriate and safe options. Because we specialize in eye care for young patients, we’re well acquainted with their preferred styles, shapes, and colors. We carry a large range of frames for children, inspired by adult trends but with a fun and imaginative approach and a pediatric fit in mind.
All of our frames are comfortable, durable, and made with kid-friendly materials. Young children find the bright colored frames they love, while teens find the latest fashion trends scaled down to fit their faces.
Do your kids play sports? Athletic eyewear for children can help protect their eyes from sports injuries.
At Professional Eyecare of New York, we have eyewear for every child and teen, no matter their features or preferences.
Contact Lenses for Teens
Have your child experience the freedom of contact lenses.
Contact lenses enhance the natural color of the eye, for a more vibrant look. Your child will feel more confident and ready to take on the world!
They’ll also enjoy having the freedom of not worrying about losing or breaking glasses, and may participate in activities that they weren’t able to before.
If your child is a first time wearer of contacts, we provide proper contact lens training, so that they know how to insert, take out, and store their lenses properly.
And if you're a parent who is concerned about your child getting eye infections or otherwise having a hard time with contacts, have no fear! Studies show that side effects of contact lenses for children and, are actually very mild. In fact, some studies show that children and teens actually have less severe side effects than many adults who first start wearing contacts.
Give your child the gift of clear and comfortable vision, and schedule their contact lens fitting with Professional Eyecare of New York today!
Your Child Deserves the Best Eye Care
Professional Eyecare of New York pediatric optometry division is a source of pride for our practice. Our experienced team works diligently to ensure that infants, children and teens have the ability to see, perceive and experience the world to their highest potential.
Make pediatric eye exams a priority. Visit Professional Eyecare of New York for a routine comprehensive pediatric eye exam, or come to us with your concerns regarding your infant or toddler’s vision, and we’ll make sure to find the optimal solution for his or her visual problems. Let us bring great eye health and vision care to you and your family for many years to come.
Professional Eyecare of New York is dedicated to ensuring excellent vision and serves patients from in and around Manhattan.
